For many years Clarence River health has been a concern for people living in its very extensive catchment. Past health threats including plans to divert major flows to the west or the north have been met with very strong community opposition which led to these plans being dropped.
More recently the threat posed by the uptake of mining leases in the search for critical minerals has alarmed the river’s protectors. The Clarence Catchment Alliance (CCA) has been alerting the community and local councils to how damaging mining pollution of the Clarence would be to the drinking water of over 100,000 urban dwellers as well as important local industries including fishing, agriculture and tourism. Its recent public meetings in Grafton, Copmanhurst, Drake and Dorrigo were the precursors for a deputation to Sydney several weeks ago. The CCA, along with many in the local community, want the State Government to ban mineral mining in our catchment and this was the case they took to the State Government. If the Government fails to act as it should, the campaign will continue.
Clarence River health and the need to protect it in the long term is the focus of another group which has been gathering community support in recent months. The Clarence River Guardians, launched early this year, has a range of members including representatives from organisations including First Nations people, the CCA, Canegrowers, Clarence Council, environment groups, Landcare, and local High Schools.
The River Guardians have developed a citizen science project in partnership with Southern Cross University. This project will help establish parameters and scientific information that will assist in protecting and understanding the Clarence and its catchment.
The first part of the project is a baseline study of river sediments where volunteers, in collaboration with First Nations Custodians, will collect 100 or more river sediment samples from key locations across the catchment on October 18-19. Samples will be analysed for over 50 elements including heavy metals with the data being stored as a community resource.
For more information or to volunteer, check https://www.clarenceriverguardians.net
- Leonie Blain
Published in the Voices for the Earth column in The Clarence Valley Independent , 27th August, 2025.
